The Broken Road

Moon--Thanks so much for your comment. I had to smile when you said everyone has so many problems in this. It's true, though. That's what I love about fanfic: exploring the sides of their personalities that we don't get to see in the show...at least, the way I imagine they would be. I'm glad that you find it to be realistic! And Videl, yeah. What she did was terrible. But Trunks is pissed, too. And thankfully he's a bit more vocal/vengeful than Gohan ;-)

Macha--So glad to hear that it all makes sense now :-D Not really done consciously, but just in keeping with what I see as his character in this story. So I'm glad if it came out more clearly in the last chapter! As for where Goten will be during the move, well, you and the demis must be on the same wavelength because they are both thinking about that too :)

Nickles...Nickles... YAY! Thanks for your comment. It made me very happy! You were funny, though, the way you phrased your questions :-P It reminded me of the announcer-guy that comes on at the end of the show. "Will Trunks finally break through those emotional walls? Will the boys ever be friends again? Can Trunks get into Gohan's pants and will the two EVER fuck? Find out on the next exciting episode of Dragonball Z..." Hahaha.

Jocelyn--I'm so happy you're enjoying it, especially that moment at Capsule Corp. Your review was quite insightful and it let me know that things are coming across as I intended. Thank you for that. I also adore all three of them and want them to be happy. But first, a little more heart sickness >:) Let's see how much more they can take, shall we? :-P

animelover6000--Thanks!! Too bad there's no alert button on AFF, but my contact info is in my profile and I'd be happy to send you an email when I update if you want to send me your email address :)

Yaoiandcoffeeaddict--So, what makes you think Vegeta will find out? ;-) Just kidding, he will. He's a pretty perceptive guy. But maybe Vegeta's reaction will surprise you.


Chapter 11

The next morning, Gohan crouched in the living room lacing his sneakers. He wore a long sleeved t-shirt and a pair of basketball shorts. He had indeed gone straight to sleep when he and Trunks got home the night before and he woke up feeling more energetic if no less depressed. It was a sunny Saturday morning, though, and he decided not to wallow in self pity.

The sleepy Saiyan prince appeared in the hallway to his bedroom just then, wearing grey boxer shorts and rubbing his eyes. “Where are you going?”

“Just out for a jog.” Gohan looked him over. “You’re up early.”

“Yeah well, I was in bed by ten, no thanks to you,” he noted. Then Trunks ran one hand down his stomach and pinched the skin there, pouting. “Wait for me. I’ll get dressed and come with you.”

“Uh, okay,” Gohan said, surprised, as he watched his roommate walk back down the hall. Normally it took extreme measures to get Trunks out of bed in the morning, not to mention getting him to do anything productive.

“I’m going to get fat,” he yelled in explanation from the bedroom. “All I do anymore is sit on my ass on that couch.” He grabbed the running pants he had been wearing the night before and a clean white tank.

“I really doubt that,” Gohan said as the teen reappeared, hopping down the hall on one foot as he pulled on his pants. He had just been standing there nearly naked and Gohan thought he looked as fit as ever, despite his lax workout routine.

“Look, do you want a running partner or not?”

“Sure, chubby, let’s go.”

A few minutes later, their feet hit the pavement in time as they jogged steadily towards the park in a nearby part of the city. There were trails there that would give them at least a few miles of warm-up exercise. Then, Gohan had said, they would follow the river north where it ran around the perimeter of the city before turning south and heading for home.

“When will we go out to Mount Paozu?” Trunks inquired after they had been running for some time. He was hesitant to bring up the topic because things seemed so different in the light of day, after a full night’s sleep. It gave him the feeling that the previous night’s events had never happened. But, of course, they had and the two roommates would have to deal with the consequences today.

“I guess after our run.”

“Okay.” At the thought of going out to the Son property, Trunks couldn’t help but wonder about Goten. Would he be there? How would he react to Trunks being there? Would they get a chance to talk? The last time he and Gohan had gone out to the country, Trunks had been relieved to hear that Goten wouldn’t be around. But this time, as nervous as the thought of seeing Goten made him, he almost wished the younger boy would be there. It felt so strange not seeing him on a daily basis; not talking to him at all. Despite having Gohan’s support and friendship, and despite his best efforts to write Goten out of his life, the separation was starting to take its toll on the Saiyan prince.

Gohan didn’t fail to notice that faraway look in his roommate’s eyes. “I, uh, thought I’d tell Goten to stay away this afternoon. Just until this whole mess is over.”

“Oh,” Trunks said, drawing himself out of his thoughts to look at his running partner. “You don’t have to do that on account of me. Actually, I’d . . . .” Shrugging, he looked back at the pavement. “I’d sort of like to see him again. You know, tell him I’m sorry.”

The fact that he wanted to apologize for his actions towards Goten in the past few weeks gave Gohan hope that the teen was beginning to look critically at his own behavior and recognize the effects it had on other people. But even more, Gohan hoped that Trunks was reaching a point where he and Goten could be friends again. It was obvious that each of them needed the other more than either wanted to admit, and he wanted nothing more than to see them work out their problems and rekindle their friendship. But this day would not represent the ideal conditions for their makeup.

“I’m really glad to hear that,” he said. “But it isn’t so much because of you. He doesn’t handle stressful situations like this very well. If he’s there, it’s just another thing I’ll have to worry about. And I really just want to get there, get her shit out, and get gone.”

Trunks chuckled at his roommate’s choice of words. “I can’t blame you there.”

“You should call him, though, Trunks,” Gohan suggested. He thought about his brother staring at the hills and wishing for his best friend. “I know he misses you.”

The prince’s head snapped in the direction of his jogging partner again. Surely Gohan knew his own brother better than anyone, but Trunks hadn’t really dared to hope that Goten actually missed him. He was sure the younger Son had been far too busy in his girlfriend’s bed to think much about him at all. Still he hoped they could at least be on speaking terms again.

They jogged another few miles before either spoke. “Hey, Trunks, about last night . . . .” Gohan kept his eyes trained intently on the trees whizzing by alongside the running trail. “I just wanted to say thanks.”

“Knock it off,” Trunks said, reaching out to playfully slap his roommate on the back of the head. “That’s what friends are for.” Gohan laughed and dodged his attempt, but the older demi was relieved at his roommate’s casual response. He was still getting used to leaning on someone else with his problems and he wanted to say thanks without rehashing all of the emotions of the previous night. He was grateful that Trunks was making it easy on him.

As his feet pounded the pavement, Gohan began to steel himself for the ordeal that the afternoon would bring. He concentrated on putting the defensive barriers in place that he knew he would need to get through it and was startled when he felt his roommate’s hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, Gohan,” the teen said. “I’ll be there with you.”

Trunks turned his attention back to the pavement, but Gohan let his eyes linger on the Saiyan prince for a few paces. For as much as he seemed to lecture Trunks, Gohan was all too aware of his own flaws; one of which was a serious failure to stick up for himself at times. And at his roommate’s words, he was surprised to feel something like relief. While one could say many things about the Capsule heir, Gohan knew he would defend any one of his friends to the bitter end; whether against a would-be destroyer of Earth or just an ex-girlfriend. The eldest Son was used to people relying on him, not the other way around, and at the moment, it would have been hard for him to express how much that small statement meant. Though he was sure he didn’t need to.

After reaching the northernmost point of the city, the two men turned towards home. They covered the remaining blocks as quickly as they could with the increasing pedestrian traffic that was beginning to crowd the sidewalks. Eventually, the roommates rounded a corner and the yellow walls of Capsule Corp. came into view. They crossed the street and continued to jog toward the complex at a good clip.

Just then Gohan heard Trunks gasp and felt the teen pummel him from the left side. The older demi lost his balance as Trunks shoved him hard and the two fell into a row of bushes along the sidewalk. Gohan’s breath was knocked out of him as he hit the ground and Trunks landed heavily on top of him. “Geez!” he complained in a strained voice. “Maybe you were right about getting fat.”

“Shhhh!” Trunks hissed from above him. Then the Capsule heir tried to peer through the bushes, moving back a few branches with his left hand. “Do you think he saw us?”

“Who?” But Trunks was no longer listening as he slowly climbed to his knees and lifted his head to peer across the top of the bushes. He jumped back with a short cry when his blue eyes met the turquoise stare of Super Saiyan Vegeta.

“Hello, son.” The pureblood’s lips curled into a smirk as he stood above the two entangled boys. “I think we have some catching up to do.”

***

“Ow, Goten! How many times do I have to tell you that’s NOT where it goes?”

The demi-Saiyan propped himself up on his palms. His girlfriend lay beneath him, her legs wrapped around his waist. He looked down between them at the place where their naked hips met on the mattress. Everything seemed to be in place and he couldn’t understand what he was doing wrong.

“Oh, um, sorry,” he looked at her with wide brown eyes. “Which one is it again?” Girls had so much going on down there; he could hardly manage to keep it all straight.

“Not THAT one.” She pushed Goten off as she sat up and he rolled onto his side and watched her reach for a t-shirt. “I’m not explaining this to you again. Take an anatomy course or something!”

Anatomy? he thought to himself. Wow, so one had to take an entire college class in order to understand the female body. He nodded solemnly. “Okay, I will next semester.”

Tiffany sighed. “Let’s just go meet Kim for breakfast.”

Goten brightened at the prospect of food. He had arrived at the dorms in the wee hours of the morning and Tiffany had let him in and then fallen right back to sleep. He slept in the small twin bed with her, while Kim slept in her own bed across the room. When the three of them woke up, Kim immediately excused herself to go and get breakfast. She couldn’t help but feel like she was cramping the lovebirds’ style. The couple had tried to make the best of their time alone together, but it hadn’t worked out all that well. And after both had dressed, they headed across campus to the dining hall.

Goten smiled and waved to Kim when he spotted her inside the bustling cafeteria. Then he followed Tiffany to the buffet. As he surveyed the piles of ham, sausage, eggs, bacon, French toast, and potatoes, Goten thought that prepaid meal plans and all-you-can-eat buffets were the very best parts of college. Not bothering to get a plate, he piled his bare tray high with several servings of everything while Tiffany got an éclair and a coffee. Then the two made their way to the table where the other girl sat.

“Didn’t expect to see you guys here so soon,” Kim commented.

“Yeah, well, someone can’t seem to find the right hole,” Tiff complained, shooting a glare at Goten.

“Tiffany!” The demi-Saiyan turned crimson.

The dark-haired girl blushed, too, out of embarrassment for their new friend. For his sake, she decided to change the subject. “Oh, Goten, I ran into a friend of yours yesterday.”

“Really?” He seemed to forget his self-consciousness quickly enough and dug impatiently into a stack of pancakes in front of him. “Who?” he asked through a mouthful of food.

“A certain purple-haired multi-gazillionaire I think you know.”

Goten looked up at her and then finished chewing his food slowly, trying to figure out how to respond. A whole host of different scenarios ran through his mind. Had they talked? Had Trunks been mean to her, or nice? What might he have said to her about him? About them? Finally, he swallowed loudly and tried not to sound too impatient when he said simply, “Oh?”

“Yeah, I ran into him grocery shopping. Then he fixed my new watch for me and we even had lunch together.” She shrugged unaffectedly, but Goten couldn’t hide his surprise. None of those things sounded like the Trunks he knew. Since when did the Saiyan prince go grocery shopping?

“Really?!” Tiffany perked up. “That’s so cool! So are you guys gonna date, or what?”

Goten glanced at his girlfriend then turned back to Kim immediately, awaiting her response. He wasn’t sure why he felt so relieved at her answer. “No, Tiffany,” she said, not bothering to hide her annoyance. “I keep telling you he wouldn’t be interested in me.”

“Why not?” the other girl asked, shoving a piece of éclair into her mouth. “You’re as pretty as any of the girls here. Present company excluded, of course.”

“Anyway.” Kim rolled her dark brown eyes then turned back to Goten. “I went with him to the apartment that he shares with your brother. Nice place!”

“Oh my god, you were in his apartment and you guys didn’t fool around? What is wrong with you, girl?”

Now it was Goten who shot Tiffany an annoyed look. “So, Kim … did he seem…? I mean, how is he doing?” The demi-Saiyan reached up to play with a lock of hair nervously. “We haven’t really talked much lately.”

“Seemed fine to me,” she said, pretending not to notice his obviously keen interest in the subject. “Says him and your brother get along really great.”

“No kidding? Him and Gohan?” Goten tilted his head to the side in amazement. When they had first moved in together, he had wondered how long it would be before one drove the other crazy. “Weird.”

“Yeah, and I guess the school newspaper will have to find itself a new cover story soon,” she joked. “He said he’s transferring to Weston in the spring.”

“Huh? Transferring?”

“Yeah. Didn’t you know?”

“Unt-uh,” Goten shook his head in the negative and stared at the table. He had not failed to notice that Trunks stopped showing up to the classes they had together. But since his picture was always in the school paper, Goten knew he was still on campus most days. He was sure the other demi had only changed his schedule in an effort to avoid him. Now it seemed that Trunks was leaving the school altogether and Goten couldn’t quite understand why he felt so sad.

But then he realized that hearing about Trunks’ life through the newspaper or a casual acquaintance was strange and unsettling. They had been so close for so long, and now he had no idea what was going on with his best friend. His features creased into a frown as he pondered it. Trunks was grocery shopping and getting along with Gohan; having lunch with Kim; transferring to another school. It was almost as though Goten didn’t know him at all anymore.

Finally he looked up at Kim again. “So, what else did he say?” Goten asked, unable to keep the curiosity out of his soft voice.

“Nothing much, really. Hey, what’s the deal with his dad? Is he, like, crazy or something?”

“Vegeta?” Goten laughed. “No, he’s just . . .” he shook his head trying to find the right words. “He’s really intense.”

“I guess so. Seems like he’s pretty mad at Trunks. Said he was gonna make him regret the day he was born or something like that.”

Goten smiled. “I bet you he skipped training again.” He thought about the last time Trunks had done that. When they were in the storage closet together.

“Goten, are you okay?” Tiffany asked. “You’re blushing again.”

His phone rang then and Goten was thankful for the interruption. Pulling it out of his pocket, he saw his brother’s name on the caller I.D. and flipped it open. “Hey, big brother.”

“Goten, are you at home?”

“No, I’m on campus. What’s up?”

“Is it possible for you to stay there for awhile? Trunks and I are gonna go out to Mount Paozu this afternoon and move Videl out of the house. So I promise it’ll be safe to come home soon. But, until then, you might want to stay with your girlfriend.”

Goten put down the phone. “Hey, is it okay if I stay again tonight?” He looked at both girls. “Please, Kim?” he begged when she gave an annoyed groan. The boy blinked long, dark lashes at her.

“Fiiine,” she relented, lifting her palms in defeat and gesturing in his direction. “How can I say no to that face? You’re damn lucky you’re cute, Goten.”

“Thanks!” His attractive features immediately lit up in a smile. “Okay, Gohan, I’ll stay here tonight.”

“Great,” his older brother said. “Hey, listen. Once things calm down a little bit, what do you say we get together? I’d like to talk to you about everything that’s been going on lately. Trunks, Videl, Mom . . . I worry about you, little bro.”

“Okay, I guess,” Goten agreed. Then he had an idea. “Hey, maybe I could come by the apartment some time!” That way he could talk to his brother and maybe see Trunks, too. If they could just talk for a few minutes, maybe then he could see how his friend was doing for himself instead of having to get his information through intermediaries.

“Yeah, that would work.” Gohan didn’t think Trunks would mind, since the prince had expressed an interest in seeing Goten, too, just that morning. And now that it seemed both boys felt the same way, he could let himself take some comfort in the idea that they may be reconciled soon. “In fact, I think it’d be really good,” he said, more enthusiastically. “So I’ll talk to you later then.”

“Bye, Gohan.”

As he hung up the phone, Goten seriously wondered if there was something wrong with him. Here he was sitting with a very pretty blond who liked him; who wanted to be with him. He had the girlfriend he’d been wanting for so long. He tried to turn his attention to the girls’ conversation about the latest episode of Gossip Girl, but his thoughts kept drifting. He had known when he left Trunks that it would be the end of the road for them, but going cold turkey was so much harder than he thought it would be. Before that night on the balcony, Goten had been obsessed by the idea of getting away from Trunks. Yet now he couldn’t stop thinking about being with him.

He had his freedom. So why weren’t things getting any clearer?

***

Four hours later, the elder Son was just about to leave for the country without his roommate when he felt the teen’s ki-signature approaching the apartment. He headed down the hall for Trunks’ room, curious to see how Vegeta’s punishment had played out. Gohan leaned in the bedroom doorway as his roommate landed across from him on the balcony. As soon as his feet touched down, Trunks collapsed against the glass, as though he didn’t have the energy to move, much less open the door.

“Little help, Gohan?” His voice was muffled by the thick pane of glass and the fact that his cheek was flattened against it and Gohan couldn’t suppress a chuckle at his roommate’s penchant for melodrama as he rounded the bed. When he opened the door, Trunks fell into the room and the older man had little choice but to lean down and catch him, then turn around and drop him onto the bed.

“Owww!” Trunks groaned miserably as he bounced. “You have no bedside manner.”

“I keep telling you that I’m not a doctor.”

“A shame.” He clutched at his left side. “I probably need one.”

“That bad, huh?”

“Worse.” He winced as Gohan sat down next to him and the springy mattress bounced again.

“So, I guess I’ll head out to Videl’s without you, then.”

“No.” Trunks managed to lift up one bruised arm in protest. “No, I’m definitely going.” He pushed himself into an upright position then slowly lifted off the bed and began limping towards the bathroom. “I skipped spending the afternoon in that synthetic DNA thingy so that I could do this.” He leaned against the sink and kicked off his sneakers followed by his socks. “It’s too good an opportunity to pass up.”

“What do you mean?” Gohan asked suspiciously, lifting his chin and staring down the teenager.

“I just want to see Videl.” Trunks’ innocent-sounding voice echoed from the bathroom. “You know she’s always been one of my favorite people.”

“Oh, no, no, no,” Gohan warned, getting up from the bed and shaking his finger. “I hope you’re not thinking what I think you’re thinking.”

What Trunks was thinking was that Gohan managed to look quite sexy when admonishing him. Honestly, it almost made him want to be bad.

“Don’t worry, Gohan. I’ll behave,” he promised. “And if I don’t,” he added with a wink, “you can discipline me.” In the moment before he lifted his sleeveless shirt over his head, he thoroughly enjoyed that dumbfounded expression on the other man’s handsome face. It was clear he still didn’t quite know how to take those casual innuendos Trunks liked to throw around.

But the older demi’s features quickly creased into a frown. “Jesus, did you even try to defend yourself?” Gohan asked. Beneath his shirt, the heir to the Saiyan crown was covered in a striking canvas of deep purples and reds. His torso seemed to have suffered the worst of it but his arms showed a few darkening contusions as well. Gohan reached out to run his fingers over the ribs on the left side of the other demi’s back. “Are they broken?”

Trunks sucked in his breath and involuntarily jerked away from the contact. Then, ignoring his discomfort, he leaned down to turn on the shower water. “Every time we heal, we get stronger,” he repeated his father. “And I’m assuming the beatings will continue until I’m stronger than you. Which is to say ‘indefinitely’.” Gohan continued to look over the younger Saiyan. Vegeta was always a ruthless opponent, and sure, Trunks had baited him. But this seemed rather brutal, even for him.

“Gohan, don’t look at me like that,” Trunks complained, embarrassed, as he dangled his arm under the water waiting for it to get warm. It was not uncommon for him to walk away from a training session with a few injuries and Goten had long ago gotten used to seeing him this way. But the elder Son’s scrutinizing eyes were making Trunks self-conscious.

“Do you know that you can use your ki as a shield?” Gohan offered. “It’s almost like the shield the androids use, but it’s made with your spirit energy. I used it to protect Krillin and Piccolo once when we were fighting this guy named Garlic.”

“As delicious as that sounds, Gohan, it’s not a big deal,” Trunks informed him. “It’s just training. I know I whine about it sometimes, but I’m glad that he cares enough to do it. I committed the worst crime in his rule book when I skipped out the other day,” Trunks continued. “A warrior should want to fight, and to him, it’s like turning my back on my Saiyan side when I avoid training. To be honest, I kind of needed this reminder.” Then Trunks cracked a smile. “Hey, just imagine if he knew I had done it so I could make dinner for your third class ass!”

“I guess you’re right,” Gohan acquiesced. Actually, if he thought about it, his own father had nearly killed him when he was trying to push Gohan to reach super Saiyan for the first time. Not to mention Piccolo’s less than sympathetic training regimen. And back then Gohan had only been four years old! He shook his head and realized he was being far too overprotective of Trunks. He figured it must be the result of the last few weeks. He had gotten much too used to looking out for the kid.

The elder Son laughed then. “Just please tell me that you don’t have the same reaction to Vegeta beating the crap out of you as you did to me beating the crap out of you.” Gohan remembered the teen’s obviously aroused state the last time they had gravity trained together. His roommate was good at flustering him but he thought a comment like that might be enough to get a rise out of Trunks for once.

But the other demi only stared at the floor. “If you must know, Gohan,” he admitted quietly, “the only time I feel truly alive is when I’m doubled over at his feet, gasping for air and choking on my own blood.” Trunks closed his eyes and leaned his head back. “Father. He knows how to make it hurt so good.”

“Are—are you serious?” Gohan gasped, eyes wide.

“No, you dork!” Trunks attempted to slap him upside the head for the second time that day, and this time he hit his mark. “Now go and make yourself useful.” He pointed towards the closet in his room. “There’s Tiger Balm and Ace bandages in there. You’ll have to wrap me. But after that, I’ll be ready to go out to Videl’s..” Turning away, he slid his pants down and stepped into the shower.

The older demi put both hands up in a gesture of surrender. He was pretty sure he didn’t want to hear any more of what went on in that lavender head of his. “You are seriously twisted, Trunks,” he mumbled as he headed for the closet.

“Oh, sweetheart, you have no idea.”

***

The two arrived at Videl’s house a short time later. Trunks approached the door first and was about to ring the bell when he noticed the door had been knocked off its hinges and was only propped against the frame. “Your work?” he asked his companion to which Gohan only looked away, embarrassed. “Niiice,” Trunks said appreciatively, patting him on the back.

The younger demi carefully lifted the wooden door up and pushed it out of their way. “Helloooo?” his voice echoed through the house, which was already looking emptier with furniture covered in sheets and most of the couple’s belongings already put into boxes. “Anyone home?”

Videl appeared on the landing above them and waved in acknowledgement of their arrival. “I’m just finishing clearing off some furniture up here,” she informed them, getting right to the point. “It’ll be ready to come down in a few minutes.” With that she disappeared back down the hallway.

Gohan was glad that she didn’t beat around the bush. As he had told Trunks earlier that morning, he just wanted to get this thing done so he could put this whole chapter of his life behind him. He hoped that after today he would have some closure, and he was eager to get on with the task at hand. “I’m going to go see what I can do to help,” he said to Trunks, then took the stairs two-by-two.

“Sure,” the Saiyan prince said to an empty living room. Then he looked around, trying to decide where he should start. But at that moment a blond man entered from the back part of the house. He stopped abruptly when he saw Trunks.

“Oh, uh, are you here to help us move?”

Trunks noticed the man was rather jumpy. “Yup, guess so,” he said, as he looked the guy up and down. He sure didn’t seem like much. Trunks couldn’t help but wonder what the hell Videl had been thinking.

“So . . . is Gohan here, then?” the blond asked nervously.

“Upstairs.” The teen pointed to the landing just as Videl reappeared there.

“Hi, honey,” she came down, approached the blond, and leaned over to kiss him. Trunks made a face as Sharpener kissed her back. It was so weird to see Videl acting like that with someone else. And to do it right in front of him. He found the whole thing distasteful.

“Ahem,” the prince cleared his throat and Videl looked at him disparagingly. Then she turned towards the stairs again as Gohan came down. He took notice of how close his ex-wife and ex-classmate were standing and paused mid-step. The older demi was holding a desk above his head and Sharpener eyed it apprehensively as he took a step to the left, away from Videl. Still, her hand remained on his arm, rubbing it gently.

“Uh, here let me help you,” Trunks offered, taking a few steps toward his roommate.

“I’ve got it,” Gohan insisted, irritably pushing past the younger Saiyan and heading out the front door to the waiting trucks.

When he returned to the house, Videl and her boyfriend were wrapping various breakables in pages of newspaper and boxing them. They chatted happily about their plans to decorate their new place as though they were any other young couple about to move in together for the first time. Trunks couldn’t believe their audacity and his contempt for them was growing by the minute. But not quite as quickly as his concern for Gohan.

The Capsule heir channeled his annoyance into the task at hand, taking the couches and then the coffee table and end tables outside and hurriedly loading them up. He decided Gohan was right and getting this done as quickly as possible was the best plan of action.

Over the next few hours, Trunks watched his roommate closely as his roommate watched the couple. It was clear that everything about the way they interacted bothered Gohan. Those soft tones Videl used with Sharpener. The way she stood close to him, so their arms touched when they moved. He knew that Gohan didn’t want to see it, but that he couldn’t manage to look away. It was self-defeating behavior that the demi-Saiyan prince was all too familiar with. By the time they had finished loading all of the upstairs furniture and had begun packing the smaller knick-knacks and trinkets scattered around the living room, Trunks had just about had enough.

As he dusted off a painted vase, he watched the lovers stand near the book shelves on the far side of the room. Videl nuzzled the blond’s hair and giggled as he whispered some sweet nothing to her.

“That’s it,” Trunks said to himself, dropping the vase none-too-delicately as he walked towards the two. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Gohan shoot him a look of warning. He could almost hear that stern voice in head telling him not to do anything stupid, but he ignored it. Sharpener was struggling to lift a heavy box of books until Videl relieved him of it and started across the room.

Trunks stepped in front of her. “Please, allow me.” He feigned politeness, but his icy eyes conveyed only antipathy. Videl held his stare for a moment, her own eyes distrustful. But, having no reason to protest, she allowed him to take the box from her hands.

“Thank you,” she said in a tone of forced gratitude and Trunks watched her as she picked up a broom and retreated up the stairs, presumably to clean the now empty bedroom. When she was gone, he turned to the blond man nearby and flashed him an easy smile.

“I don’t think we’ve officially met. I’m Trunks. It looks like you could use some help over here.”

“Oh, uh, sure. Thanks.” He held out his hand hesitantly. “Sharpener.” As Trunks shook his hand, the man eyed the bandage tightly wrapped around the demi-Saiyan’s right elbow. “Hey, you sure you’re up for this?”

“Oh, yeah,” Trunks waved him off. “Don’t worry about me. In fact, I can carry a lot more than this. Why don’t I hold this box and you pile it up with all the books on that shelf.”

Gohan, apparently satisfied that Trunks wasn’t planning anything, left the room and headed for the kitchen to pack up the pots, pans, and dishes. Meanwhile, Sharpener obeyed and in no time he and Trunks had an entire wall of books packed into the waiting vans.

“Aren’t you even tired?” Sharpener had to inquire as the lavender-haired man moved to the next floor-to-ceiling bookshelf and began pulling volumes down. He looked at Trunks inquisitively. He knew Gohan and his friends were strong, but he couldn’t help but be amazed by the displays of power that seemed so natural to both Gohan and the young man helping him.

Trunks wiped his brow. “No, not at all. Getting a little warm though.” He grabbed the bottom of his t-shirt then lifted it over his head and discarded it onto the floor. “So, whaddaya say we get started on this china cabinet?” Trunks pointed over his shoulder.

“Man, what happened to you?” Sharpener asked, a horrified look on his face. Aside from the bandages on Trunks’ arm, the blond now saw that his lower ribs were wrapped in Ace bandages as well, and beneath the dressings was a rainbow of colored abrasions.

“What?” Trunks looked down at his torso. “Oh, you mean this?” Then he looked apprehensively around the room before lowering his voice. “I can’t really talk about it here.”

“Why not?” Sharpener asked anxiously.

Trunks lowered his voice even further until he was whispering, a fearful expression contorting his features. “I don’t want Gohan getting mad. I never know what he’ll do.”

“Gohan did that?!” Sharpener cried, then slapped both of his hands over his mouth.

“Shhhh!” Trunks pleaded with him.

When the blond next spoke it was much softer. He leaned in closer to Trunks. “But he seems so mild mannered.”

The Saiyan prince bent forward to match the other’s semi-crouched position. “I know it’s hard to believe. But he’s under so much pressure all the time. I think he just . . . snaps every once in a while, you know?” Trunks loudly snapped his fingers and Sharpener jumped at the sound. “I just consider myself lucky to be the guy’s friend. I can’t imagine how he’d treat his enemies!”

The lavender-haired demi stood up straight again and walked over to continue piling up books. He cheerfully attempted to change the subject. “But, anyway, enough about me. You never did tell me—how is it that you know Gohan?”

The blond stood frozen in place, the answer stuck on his lips. When he finally found his voice again, he only sputtered, “I—you know, I’ve got to—I just remembered I . . . .” He backed away from the lavender-haired man as he tried to find the right words. Between this surprising revelation and Gohan kicking in the door the day before, he was quite sure that the next time Gohan snapped, he was likely to be the victim. And if Gohan could make someone as strong as Trunks look this bad, then Sharpener didn’t stand a chance! Giving up on verbalizing an explanation, he turned and ran out of the room as fast as his legs would carry him. A second later, the room filled with the sounds of screeching tires and a car speeding down the road and quickly fading into the distance.

Gohan bounded in from the kitchen and stared at the door where the man had just fled. Then he turned with a questioning expression towards his roommate. But at that moment, Trunks was engaged in a staring contest with Videl, who had just appeared at the top of the stairs. Her eyes were narrowed in anger and his sparkled as he barely managed to suppress a laugh.

“What did you do?” she asked accusingly.

“Videl, your boy’s a fucking pansy,” Trunks taunted. He crossed his arms with a shrug. “I think he saw a mouse.”

“You little shit,” she swore at the demi-Saiyan angrily and then raced down the stairs before coming to a halt directly in front of him. “I’d really love to wipe that smirk off your face one of these days.” He looked down at her as if daring her to do so while she looked over the rest of his bruised body. “But it looks like now that you’re all grown up the level of force needed to keep you in line is beyond what I could dish out.”

“Probably,” he agreed calmly. “But then, your specialty is more tearing people apart slowly from the inside, isn’t it Videl?”

“Why you little—!” She gritted her teeth. “Let me tell you something Trunks Briefs. You are nothing but a goddamned, overly indulged, pretty boy fa—.”

“VIDEL.”

There was that ‘don’t fuck with me’ tone Gohan rarely used and it had the intended effect of stopping her tirade mid-syllable. As she turned to face him, Gohan’s eyes flashed with a protectiveness she had seen him display only on rare occasions in the past, when his friends and family were threatened.

“If anyone has been overly indulged here, it’s you,” he accentuated the last two words firmly. “Trunks is a better person than you could ever hope to be and I’d advise you not to finish that sentence.”

She closed her gaping mouth without another word. Catching Gohan’s stare, the Saiyan prince smiled in earnest. He couldn’t care less what Videl thought of him. But Gohan . . . . Gohan had called him a good person.

Not to mention, when they were little, the older demi had always taken Videl’s side against the two boys. Of course Trunks couldn’t blame him for that. At the time, Gohan was trying to win her heart and his little brother and Trunks were just a couple of annoying kids who followed them around. Still, he felt the need to commemorate this little victory and, with all the cheerful animosity of a nine-year-old who’s had enough of his babysitter, Trunks leaned forward, arms still folded over his chest, and stuck out his tongue at her. “Mmnneehhh!”

At the sight, which was so ridiculous after such a tense standoff, Gohan couldn’t help but laugh. It started as a soft chuckle and he put a hand over his mouth to cover it. But soon he broke out into a loud giggle and then outright laughter. After Trunks was done spitting at Videl, he noticed his roommate’s reaction and found himself unable to suppress an amused chuckle of his own. Laughter like that was undeniably contagious, although he had to grasp his ribs harder with every contraction of the diaphragm.

But Videl remained immune to their good humor. She looked back and forth between the two with a series of offended gasps. “Ugh!” she spat disgustedly, then yelled, “you two can have each other!” With that she stormed out of the house after her lover.

The demi-Saiyans made an effort to control their giggling as they turned to watch her go. But when they heard the unmistakable sound of her car screeching off in the same direction as the other man’s had gone, they both doubled over again. “Did you—,” Gohan managed to catch his breath for a moment. “Did you see her face?”

“She’s pissed,” the teen agreed. “Sharpener’s gonna have his hands full tonight.”

“Better him than me!”

Eventually the echoing peels of laughter slowed and tapered off. Still holding his ribs lightly, Trunks made his way over to where his roommate was standing and leaned against a tall hutch, which was one of only a few remaining pieces of furniture in the room. He slapped Gohan’s shoulder affectionately.

“Seriously, though, I’m sorry,” he offered. “I just couldn’t stand the way the two of them were making you feel. We’re better off finishing up on our own.”

Gohan sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “It was that obvious, huh?” Trunks watched him closely as his features turned somber again. “I just—. I can’t—.” He took a breath. “I always thought she wasn’t a very affectionate person. That was how I rationalized the way she acted towards me. And I . . . . I held back so much of what I felt for her. That’s just the way things were between us for as long as I can remember. And then to see the way she was with him.” He shook his head. “Talk about shattering your illusions.”

It occurred to Trunks that Gohan wasn’t really the repressed guy he had accused him of being. One only needed to be near him to know that he was a passionate and loving person. He had simply been keeping his feelings to himself for so long that it must have become second nature and Trunks couldn’t help but think that it was a damned shame. And, even more so than before, he wanted to show Gohan what it was that he had been missing out on all these years. He wanted so badly to give him the affection Videl had denied. He was learning that Gohan was so much more than he seemed at first glance. Everything about him was waiting to be discovered just under the surface.

Lost in his thoughts, Trunks didn’t even realize he had reached out to trace the hairline of the man beside him as the setting sun cast golden shadows on his face until Gohan’s head shot up at the touch and he glanced in Trunks’ direction.

“So that’s what you want then. You’ve figured it out.”

The older demi looked back at the floor. He couldn’t deny it. Who didn’t want that? That intimate connection with another human being. That feeling of meaning everything to someone and having someone mean everything to you. Love in all its various incarnations. Wasn’t that was made the world worth fighting for?

Trunks let his fingers slide beneath Gohan’s chin and pulled him closer, pressing their foreheads together. “Let me give that to you,” he whispered fervently.

“Trunks . . . .” Gohan made a half-hearted attempt to duck his head out of the other man’s grasp. Despite all that they had been through since then, he was sure that essentially nothing had changed since the last time Trunks had tried something like this.

The Saiyan prince could see that Gohan was fighting with himself and he tried to understand what was going on in his roommate’s head. This was Gohan, who never made his own feelings a priority. So, unlike his little brother, he wouldn’t be worried about what people might think of him or what being with Trunks would mean about his sexuality. It didn’t take the teen long to realize that Gohan was only wondering if Trunks knew what he was doing, what he was asking for. He was wondering if the boy wanted him for all the wrong reasons. And that’s why he was holding back.

“Gohan, I’m not a kid anymore,” the younger demi insisted. “You and my mother, you need to stop trying to protect me all the time. Sure, I’ve made some mistakes, but I’ve learned a lot from them. Everything that’s happened, maybe it’s all been leading us here . . . .” Trunks trailed off.

To this moment. To each other.

“Look,” the teen continued after a short silence, taking his roommate’s hand. “I won’t bother you anymore, Gohan. I’ll turn around, walk away and leave you alone if you can honestly tell me,” he raised Gohan’s hand to his mouth and kissed the sensitive skin on the inside of his wrist, “that you’ve never thought about this. That you never think about me when you’re alone.” He returned the other man’s arm to his side and moved in closer to him. “That you’ve never thought about what it’d be like to do this.” Trunks planted a second fleeting kiss on the dark-haired demi’s neck. “Cuz I’ve thought about you,” he whispered, lifting his head up to his roommate’s cheek. “I’ve thought about you a lot. And I know you’re not Goten. I’m in a position to know just exactly how much you are not like Goten. So now you tell me, Gohan.” He pressed their bodies together. “Tell me that I’m not what you want.”

Gohan leaned back against the hutch behind them, moving his upper body away from the other man’s so he could look into his eyes. Azure irises flashed with thinly veiled desire and a part of him couldn’t deny how good it felt to be wanted this way, especially after so many years of detached coldness. And the heat with which the young prince looked at him was becoming increasingly hard to ignore. But a part of him still strongly felt that he had to do so.

“Trunks,” Gohan averted his eyes in an effort to regain some control. “We can’t always trust our bodies.”

“On the contrary, Gohan. Sometimes I think it’s the only thing we can trust.”

He pressed both his lips together to the top of Gohan’s open mouth, gently kissing his upper lip, then pulled back so his nose brushed the other’s. Gohan could feel Trunks’ bangs tickling his face. Those few unruly strands that always crossed in front of his eyes.

“What is it about you, Gohan?” the teen wondered aloud. “You know what’s best for everyone else, but you don’t seem to know how to listen to yourself.”

Finally, Trunks’ lips made the contact he had been craving, and Gohan’s mouth reluctantly opened under his own. The teen let his tongue slip between his lips and moisten his roommate’s. As the younger boy deepened the kiss, Gohan found it easier and easier to ignore those nagging reservations. Thoughts of his brother, his ex, and anyone else were beginning to slip away.

All he could think about was Trunks. The lavender-haired man was invading all of his senses. And it felt good. Too good to shut him out again. Without thinking, he began to respond, opening his mouth further to accommodate the probing tongue, and even reaching up to run two inquisitive fingers along Trunks’ jaw line. He traced the faultless bone structure there, underneath tanned skin, and remembered the way the prince’s ki had enveloped him that night in the kitchen. That intoxicating pulsation and disarming aura. Gohan was falling under the same spell now and it was true he wanted to give himself over to it entirely. But, instead, planting his thumb firmly on the other’s chin, he stopped Trunks from pressing in for another forbidden kiss.

He looked the prince in the face one more time. Could he trust what his roommate said? That he knew what he was doing? Or were they both letting their insecurities get the best of them? How could he know for sure if it was real? And if it was, then where would they go from here?

“I don’t know if I’m ready,” he admitted honestly.

“Aw, don’t worry, Gohan,” Trunks flashed a trademark grin. “I’ll catch if it’ll make you feel better.”

“Wha…?” When the older demi got his meaning he couldn’t suppress another snigger. “That’s so not what I meant,” he clarified, although he had to admit, the logistics of being with another man did make him a tiny bit nervous.

“Batter up, Gohan,” Trunks did his best to lighten the mood, and the two shared another quiet moment of laughter as the dark-haired demi absently traced the inside of Trunks’ arm with his fingers. But he soon became serious again.

“I mean I don’t know if I’m ready to . . . to give you . . . .” He stumbled over his words before finally figuring out what he was trying to say. “To be honest, there’s just not much left of me to give right now.”

“Stop.” The younger man wrapped his arms around the other’s back. “Let’s not try to figure everything out tonight. We’re friends aren’t we? We care about each other, don’t we? That’s enough for now.”

Gohan let the prince engage him in another scorching kiss. Could it be so bad, he thought, to let Trunks have his way just this once?

Entwining his fingers in lavender hair, he pulled the other demi back just a few inches so he could breathe, “Let’s go home, kid.”